


What the Water Gave Us

by JinxedAmbitions



Category: Sense8 (TV)
Genre: F/M, Implied Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-02
Updated: 2015-11-02
Packaged: 2018-04-29 15:40:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5133017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JinxedAmbitions/pseuds/JinxedAmbitions
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Water seemed to be the perfect conductor for their connection, pulling them together harder and faster than anything else.  Maybe she thought of him when it rained.  Maybe he just thought of her in the quiet depths of the pool.  Kala couldn't tell you why she found herself drawn to him then, but she could tell you it happened often.</p><p>Five times Kala found herself drawn to Wolfgang and one time he returned the visit.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What the Water Gave Us

**Author's Note:**

> Title comes from the song 'What the Water Gave Me' by Florence and the Machine

He loved to swim. Kala knew how much it calmed him because it was as he gave in to the water that she found herself most often being drawn to him.

The first time, she found herself in the pool itself. She'd struggled, afraid of drowning, having never learned to swim growing up. It was a terrifying moment as she went from praying in the temple to being submerged in deep water. However, almost immediately she felt her limbs relax and press outward and down, bringing her to the surface, right beside Wolfgang. He'd looked contrite, treading water easily. He was born to swim, so comfortable in the water. She was almost jealous, but she knew she could experience that sensation too if she let him show her.

“I didn't realize,” he said, thoughts of learning to swim running through his mind, feeding her his own knowledge.

“I preferred the café in the rain,” she said, following his lead. She was surprised by how easy it was once she relaxed. She could even understand the peace he found here.

Wolfgang smiled at that, glancing down at himself. Kala sighed, rolling her eyes.

“Do you ever wear clothing?” she asked, swimming away from him toward the side of the pool. She wanted to be on solid ground. Wolfgang always set her off balance, and she needed something to steady her, or she was afraid of what she'd let him do.

“While swimming? That would be restrictive,” he said, floating on his back, and she knew he was doing so just to get a rise out of her. She didn't give in to the urge. She looked around instead as she seated herself on the side of the pool, feet still in the water.

“I may not know how to swim, but I do know that bathing suits exist,” she said, kicking water at him. It was childish, but he always brought out her playful side, when he wasn't putting himself in all sorts of danger that is.

Wolfgang scoffed at the suggestion.

Kala knew it was a losing battle. Nudity was something that did not bother him, and as much as she protested otherwise, his nudity bothered her less and less. It wasn't just natural curiosity either, though yes, she had looked more than once. She tended to be drawn to him when he was most comfortable, when he wasn't afraid to let her into his bloody life. His comfort in those moments didn't fail to come across their connection, and perhaps against her sensibilities, she'd come to regard his nudity as a good thing—of course, she would never tell this to him.

Kala was surprised to realize there were other people milling about the pool in equal states of undress. She gasped as she saw an older man walking past, wearing nothing to cover himself. She quickly turned to look away, but she saw a woman completely bare as she stepped down into the pool.

Kala's eyes were wide as she looked at Wolfgang. “You are at a brothel!” she said, unable to mask the accusation in her tone.

Wolfgang sputtered as he suddenly submerged. “A brothel?” he asked, as they were suddenly sitting in the temple together. Wolfgang had his legs folded as he sat beside her. She cringed at the thought of sitting on the stone with nothing as a barrier.

“There are so many nude people,” she said, scandalized by the thought of him going somewhere for sex with strangers.

Wolfgang chuckled, running his hand through his hair. “It's a public pool, not a brothel. I was here on your wedding night as well. I come to swim, not for sex. Although...” he trailed off with a wistful look on his face.

“Although what?” she asked, splashing him with her foot again.

He grinned at her, and she hated how that grin released butterflies in her stomach. “Ask Will sometime,” he said, letting himself slip beneath the water, and thus preventing her from splashing him again.

Kala huffed. She would not let him wind her up. So, she pushed herself into the water again, and carefully tread toward where he'd gone under. She stayed just far enough that he wouldn't come up beneath her, and when he finally surfaced, she pounced.

As he was taking a breath and clearing the droplets of water from his eyes, still grinning from his victory of making her blush, Kala dove on him, dunking him beneath the water. She grinned victoriously as she jumped away and swam—as she'd learned from his own mind—toward the side of the pool.

Wolfgang splashed as he resurfaced, and Kala couldn't help her laughter as she watched the others around the pool look at him like he was crazy. After all, just a moment before he'd been floating peacefully.

That would teach him not to embarrass her.

Their eyes met as he steadied himself, and she pulled herself back out of the water. She knew there was mischief in her eyes as she looked at him, but it was nothing compared to the way he looked at her, as though he'd never seen anything so beautiful.

Once again she immediately felt unbalanced. Damn him and his expressive eyes. Kala cut the connection before he could retaliate. It was cowardly, but she was supposed to be praying, not carrying on indecently with a man that wasn't her husband. Or maybe he was just the gods' answer to her prayers because he certainly seemed to appear whenever she asked them for guidance about her wedding to Rajan.

Kala picked herself up and hurried home. She wasn't fit to be in public right now. She needed to be alone with her thoughts. Of course, that would be too much to ask.

Capheus walked beside her. She found he often walked her through the city even though she felt safe. He liked to be by her side, see her home, chat idly. He was good company, even if he showed her violent movies.

“He likes to tease you,” Capheus said, falling into step with her as she tried to slow her racing pulse.

“He is a demon,” she said, shaking her head to fight her smile.

“He would enjoy that name.”

“Oh, he did,” she sighed, huffing as she thought of the first time she told him so to his face.

Capheus laughed, wrapping his arm around her shoulder in a brotherly manner. She couldn't fight her own laughter because his happiness was so infectious.

“Why are you running from him?” he finally asked.

“I may have pushed him under the water at the pool...in front of other people,” she said, cringing, though there was more smile to it than fear.

That had Capheus laughing even harder. He slapped his knees as he bent over. “I wish I could have seen that. I think we all would've enjoyed it,” he told her. Tears streamed down his cheeks when she shared the memory with him. “You like to tease him too,” he said, biting his lip as he shook his head.

Kala smiled, proud of herself. Wolfgang may have been more worldly and lacking _all_ propriety, but she could hold her own with him. She was not to be underestimated.

\- + - + - + -

The second time she found herself drawn to him while he swam, she arrived at the edge of the pool instead of in its depths. She much preferred this arrival. As much as learning to swim was exhilarating, she felt safer from this distance. She could also watch Wolfgang as he dove into the water, without so much as a thought about those around him.

Kala could see people around the pool watching him. Most were subtle about it. They were all equally naked after all. However, she could feel their gazes as if they were on her. There was appreciation in their eyes, and Wolfgang didn't even notice the way they took him in.

She felt jealousy as he dove off the side of the pool, stretching in midair. His whole body extended, showcasing his long lines and strong muscles. It was absolutely pornographic, and that was without looking between his legs. Kala felt a little faint as she watched him disappear beneath the surface with a minimal splash.

She fanned herself as she stepped to the edge of the tile and looked down into the water, watching his body cut through it in a breast stroke. She bit her lip, watching the muscles in his thighs and buttocks flex as he brought his knees up before kicking out behind him.

Kala knew she should leave. He hadn't meant to call her here. She was intruding on his peace. She was being a voyeur, though she knew he wouldn't mind. He would smile if he caught her looking, flattered by her interest in his body.

Kala was about to leave when Wolfgang resurfaced right in front of her. She was surprised, having lost herself in her thoughts and fantasies instead of registering his journey back to this end of the pool. She yelped, clutching her chest as he looked straight up at her, grinning.

He'd known she was there the whole time. He'd deliberately called her there, knowing she'd watch him.

“Demon,” she whispered even as she felt her cheeks heating against her will.

He was quite clearly pleased with himself. She didn't need a connection with him to feel the satisfaction pouring off of him.

Kala narrowed her eyes at him. “Your behavior is childish,” she told him, crossing her arms.

He shrugged, leaning into a leisurely backstroke. Kala brought her hand up to shield her eyes as he put himself on display again. She dropped it when she heard his soft laugh.

Before she could deliver a few choice words, her attention was drawn to a woman walking toward the pool. She was watching Wolfgang with hungry eyes, and suddenly Kala was feeling hot jealousy. Her sudden change in demeanor caught Wolfgang's attention, and he looked back at her in concern.

His eyes never strayed from hers as the woman swam past him, too close for Kala's comfort.

Kala did not like this jealousy she felt. After all, he was thousands of miles away, and she was promised to another—even if she had her doubts about the union. They were undoubtedly attracted to each other, whether by gravity or something somehow more profound. However, attraction alone could not change who they were, and what they were. Logic, however, also did not dissolve the feelings Kala had when she saw another woman's interest Wolfgang.

He was swimming back to her again, ignoring everything around him, including the other woman, but Kala could not un-see the woman's desire for him. She would not be the only one. He was good looking, and even with all of his darkness, there was a boyish charm to him when he smiled.

Kala turned, ready to flee, but as she shifted her consciousness back to her bedroom, above her father's restaurant, she felt him follow her. She turned to see him standing in the center of her room.

“What's wrong?” he asked, stepping closer.

She took a step back. “I was just reminded that though you are alive, I still cannot be with you,” she said, looking into his eyes.

Wolfgang frowned at her, stepping into her space as her back collided with her closet.

“You are with me. Everyday. You are always with me,” he told her, leaning in as though he intended to steal a kiss.

She waited for it, lips parted and breath abandoning her.

He didn't kiss her though. She opened her eyes to find him looking at her with that expression of awe that made her know she could never love another man the way she did him. They looked into each others' eyes just inches apart from one another.

“You're always with me, even when I'm afraid for you to see me,” he promised, closing the final distance and pressing his lips to hers in a tender kiss.

Kala brought her hands up to grasp his shoulders, feeling both their warmth from the Mumbai heat and the droplets of water that clung to them back in Berlin. It brought her back to the day at the café and their first almost kiss. She'd called it a miracle, and her opinion on the subject hadn't changed. This was a miracle. To feel the love of a man she'd never met in person. To feel his lips on hers and his body beneath her fingertips. He was her miracle.

They parted slowly, resting their foreheads against each other. “You are with me too,” Kala murmured, feeling that she needed to say it out loud. She didn't ever want him to think he was alone in this feeling. He had enough doubts in his head. She never wanted her feelings to be one of them.

Wolfgang looked about to speak again when there was a knock at Kala's door. Kala sighed in annoyance, squeezing Wolfgang's shoulders before going to answer her mother. When she looked back to where he'd been standing, he was gone.

\- + - + - + -

Kala could hear the shower running even as she picked out which earrings to wear. She was afraid to look up, knowing she'd find herself in a bathroom in Berlin. However, she couldn't fight the urge to peek up at the mirror in her room.

The glass of the mirror was fogged up, but she could see the shower door behind her. Wolfgang's back was to her, and his body was distorted by the steam. It looked like he was leaning against the back wall.

“Must you think of me while showering?” she asked, eyes looking up as though imploring to the gods instead of the man not actually behind her.

Wolfgang jumped at the sound of her voice. It was a small consolation for her. At least, he hadn't meant to bring her here. Though the labored way Wolfgang was trying to catch his breath was a concern, as was the way he seemed to be placing most of his weight against the wall of the shower using a hand to steady himself.

“Are you unwell?” she asked, turning to face the shower itself, one earring in her ear and the other forgotten for the moment. Her family was supposed to be meeting with Rajan's family to discussion more wedding arrangements, but that was forgotten as she stepped closer to Wolfgang.

“I'm fine,” he rasped, bringing both his hands up to push his wet hair off his forehead.

“You do not look fine,” she noted. He looked shaken, and she could still see fading bruises on his skin.

“I promise, I am,” he told her, straightening up more and twisting the knobs in the shower, cooling it.

“Is there anything I can do for you?” she asked, unsure if she should just leave or make sure he was really okay.

Wolfgang turned to face her then, a smirk in place. He placed his hands on his hips and gave her a look that spelled trouble.

“I think my needs are a little outside your expertise,” he told her, and Kala gasped, turning away from his erection. The man was huge...and shameless. “That's what I thought,” he said, smirking.

“Pervert,” she said, throwing her hands up. “Here I thought you were injured or sick, but you just want to terrorize me,” she told him, reaching into the shower and turning the water even colder.

Wolfgang jumped as he was suddenly hit by frigid water. “What the hell?” he cried, turning away from the cold stream of water, blindly groping to warm it again.

“I was helping,” Kala told him innocently. “I have read that cold water could help...your situation,” she said, trying to step out of his reach, but Wolfgang was fast, and he grabbed her by the wrist. “Oh no—” she said, just before he tugged her into the cubicle with him, dousing her in icy water as well.

Kala shrieked as the water soaked her clothes and hair, and as her body pressed up against Wolfgang's. Considering the state he was in, he did little more than laugh at her as they stood under the water together, both forgetting to either turn it off or step out.

Kala shook her head. “You...” She trailed off, not know what to even say about his childish behavior.

Wolfgang just continued to grin, leaning in to press a kiss to her cheek, but Kala turned at the last moment, catching his lips with her own. She could feel him freeze for a moment, not having expected this, but he quickly caught up. He lifted his hands to cup her face and nipped her lips as he deepened the kiss.

This was a bad idea. A terrible idea. Rajan and his family were no doubt already downstairs, and here she was kissing another man—a naked and aroused man—in a shower. She couldn't even blame this on Wolfgang because she'd turned in for this kiss. She'd turned the water cold even though she knew he'd retaliate.

Kala squeezed her eyes closed as she slowly pulled away from his hungry kiss. She could feel him against her hip still, and it was both terrifying and exciting. She'd done that to him, but she shouldn't have let any of this happen.

“Do not do that,” Wolfgang told her, pushing a wet strand of hair out of her face.

“Do what?”

“Blame yourself for this. I'm the reason you're here. I shouldn't have—”

Kala pressed a finger to his lips. “Let's not lie to ourselves and pretend that this is not something we both want,” she said, stepping back, out of the shower and into her own bedroom.

Wolfgang still stood there watching her as she turned to put her other earring in. She gasped when he grasped her shaking fingers and carefully put the earring through her ear for her. They watched each other in the mirror as he did so, and suddenly Kala wished to be back in the cold shower. The heat of his gaze was too much.

“You look beautiful,” he told her.

“Thank you,” she said, when he rested his hand on her shoulder, taking in her beauty in the mirror. She placed her hand over his, squeezing before removing it and leaving her room to join her family in the restaurant below. Facing any of them after these stolen moments with the man she truly loved was difficult to manage.

\- + - + - + -

This time when she was called to him in the pool, he was all alone. Kala had long since gone to bed, and she had been dreaming peacefully before something had called her back to consciousness.

She found herself lying on the tile at the edge of a small pool. Wolfgang was seated in the bath, body stretched out, head tipped back, eyes closed. He almost looked asleep himself, but she could sense his alertness.

Kala was afraid to speak. It was so quiet there. She did not wish to break the peacefulness. Instead, she reached out and ran her fingertips over Wolfgang's shoulder. He didn't move, but his eyes fluttered open at her touch.

“You called me here,” she whispered when the thought struck her.

Wolfgang didn't say anything, but she could feel his isolation. There was an emptiness inside of him tonight. At first, she worried for Felix, but she would have felt it if anything had happened to Wolfgang's brother by choice because he would be in anguish.

Kala brushed the backs of her fingers over his cheek, watching the way he turned his face into her touch.

“Why are you lonely, Wolfgang? You are not alone. I am here. There others are here whenever they are needed,” she asked, pushing herself to sit up. It was cool in this room, and she could feel goosebumps rising on her skin. It didn't seem to bother him at all though.

Wolfgang didn't answer again. He just stared up at the ceiling.

“Do not call me here just to block me out,” she begged, slipping her bare foot into the water. It was warm, much warmer than the air. When Wolfgang still didn't say anything, Kala sank into the water beside him.

She wondered for a moment as she looked down at herself if this was his plan. Her camisole and underwear hid nothing now that they were wet, but Wolfgang did not leer. Instead, he rolled his head to look into her eyes. Perhaps he could be a gentleman if he chose to be.

He smiled at her, lifting his arm to wrap it around her shoulders. As he touched her, she felt the calmness in his mind. She felt the peace that touched him, and she didn't feel blocked out. Quite the contrary, she realized that he had invited her into his sanctuary, his moment of safety and solitude.

“Thank you,” she said, resting her head against his shoulder. She felt her own eyes slip shut because she felt safe, protected.

“Thank you for coming,” Wolfgang replied, squeezing her gently and placing a kiss to the top of her head.

They sat like that for what felt both like hours and mere seconds. Back in Mumbai, they sat together in her bed as well, resting against each other just the same. The rest of the world was a distant memory, and all that remained were the two of them, and six other souls shifting quietly at their edge of their consciousness.

\- + - + - + -

It was raining when she called off the wedding to Rajan, not in Mumbai but in Berlin. She had been trying so hard not to let her emotions reach the others that she didn't even realize she was sitting in a rainy alleyway until a strong arm wrapped around her shoulders.

“What happened?” Wolfgang asked her.

“I did not want everyone to know,” she said, wiping at her eyes.

“Know what?” he asked, pulling her even closer when she shivered.

“That I called off the wedding. I didn't want—”

“Then they won't know until you want them to,” he said as though they had the power to completely withhold that knowledge from the others. Perhaps with time and practice, but they were still new at this. If the others sensed her emotions, they'd come.

“I shouldn't be crying,” she said, laughing bitterly at the fact that she was the one to end it, and yet she was the one here crying her eyes out.

“Is that a rule?” Wolfgang asked, teasingly.

“You are not funny,” she told him, despite the small smile the comment brought her. “Why are you in a dark alley in the rain?” she asked.

Wolfgang looked sheepish for a moment, glancing around them. They were not far from an overflowing garbage bin from the restaurant next to the alley. It made the whole area stink of wet trash. It was not somewhere she expected anyone to hangout.

“I felt you. I felt something was wrong. I wanted to find somewhere safe if you needed me,” he told her. His hair was sticking to his forehead again. Kala couldn't stop herself from reaching up to mess it up. The simple action eased some of the pain in her heart.

“Thank you. I will be fine. You can go back to your night out,” she told him, suspected Felix was not far away.

“No, I can't,” he shook his head. “I would just worry.” She knew it to be the truth because she had no doubt that his worry was what brought her here in the first place.

“And what of Felix? Is he well enough to be left alone?” she asked, knowing that his best friend was still recovering slowly even though he insisted on doing things like they used to.

“Felix? He's using his injury to score ladies. He has four women bringing him drinks and fussing over him right now,” Wolfgang told her, laughing. Kala laughed too as the memory of Felix telling these women how he'd been badly injured at war, and the women taking pity on him.

Kala sighed, leaning back on the rooftop back home. Wolfgang leaned with her, lying beside her. Kala appreciated the warmth of her home more and more each time she visited with Wolfgang. Though she suspected her heart rested in Berlin, her home would always be Mumbai.

“Is there anything I can do?” Wolfgang asked, mirroring her own words that day in the shower. She was surprised he was being gentle with her about this. They had avoided all talk of her wedding since his uncle's house. He had never asked, and she'd been afraid to voice her continued doubts.

She was tempted to tell him that this wasn't his area of expertise, but she held her tongue. “Just tell me I made the right decision. I don't care if you have to lie.”

“You did. I...I should not have told you to marry him after what I did. Your choices have nothing to do with my mistakes. You didn't love him. You made the right choice,” Wolfgang told her, looking up into the night sky.

Kala looked up as well, and she could still feel the rain on her face from thousands of miles away. It truly was a miracle. She closed her eyes then opened them to the cloudy skies of Berlin, letting the rain wash away the tears on her face. Here, away from the home she loved so dearly, she felt like she could breathe again. Her family had been supportive of her decision, but it still had not been easy. Returning to work would not be easy. There would be talk, rumors.

Here though, sitting beside Wolfgang on a soggy street, she could smile. She could feel the rain in her hair and his arm around her. She could remember that there was more to life than her marriage to Rajan. Slowly, Kala stood, face still up turned to the rain. She smiled brightly swaying in the downpour.

“Are you okay?” Wolfgang asked, standing as well.

“I think I am,” she told him, taking his hand and beginning to walk, not knowing where her feet would take her but wanting to explore. Perhaps one day she would see this city in person now.

Wolfgang followed her without protest, holding her hand tightly as she walked. He pointed things out as they went. People holding umbrellas passed them, but Wolfgang didn't seem to mind the rain, and neither did Kala.

Kala caught glimpses the others as they walked. Sun stood on a corner watching, ensuring that nothing was wrong. Capheus passed by with a bright smile when he saw them walking hand in hand. Nomi sat in a café with a laptop, studying them as they waited at a corner. She smiled when Wolfgang pulled Kala close.

It was Lito that actually approached. Wolfgang didn't seem shocked at all. Kala had had fewer run ins with the man, but he seemed nice enough. She was shocked by the big hug he gave her, lifting her right off the ground.

“It will be okay,” he told her, squeezing her tight. When he put her down he looked from her to Wolfgang. “He will make sure of it.”

Wolfgang nodded, and Kala felt the connection between all of them so strongly. She reached for Wolfgang's hand, but he pulled her into his arms, kissing her temple.

She didn't know how long she walked with him for, but she woke the next morning tucked into her bed, and no sooner had she opened her eyes than she found Wolfgang resting beside her, watching over her. He kissed her softly as she sat up, and she watched him nod off until her disappeared in the blink of an eye.

\- + - + - + -

Wolfgang had come to her many times. Sometimes, neither one of them knew whose mind let the other in. It had become so easy that just a stray thought could bring the other right to them. In the beginning, sometimes—most times—it was inconvenient, but after they got to know each other, neither complained. Well, they complained, but neither meant their protests.

So, Wolfgang didn't think much of it when he was suddenly in the middle of a crowd, following Kala. He'd seen her home safely more than once. The others tended to walk with her more often since the attack outside the temple. He was fully aware that Capheus enjoyed accompanying her on these sorts of trips, but today she had called him. Maybe called was too strong a word. She'd thought of him, and here he was.

She didn't look frightened, though that wasn't surprising—she rarely called upon him when she was afraid for her life. Sun or Will often saw to that. It was probably for the best. If Wolfgang thought she was in true danger, he wouldn't stop until that person or people were dead, and he knew that Kala would never forgive herself if it was by her hands. She made that bomb to protect him, but Kala shouldn't have to take a life.

So, Wolfgang was confused as he walked behind her through the packed streets. They were surrounded by vibrant colors, shouting people, and...statues for Ganesha?

“Festival?” he asked, stepping around a group of people to get closer to Kala. She was with her sister and parents, so he knew she wouldn't outright answer him unless she could be discreet. So, he pushed through the crowd to get closer to her.

She must have sensed him getting close because she held out her hand just enough for him to know it was an offer. He wove his fingers through hers and squeezed her delicate hand gently. She squeezed back, glancing to her side to give him a smile that always left him mesmerized. She looked so beautiful, dressed up for whatever celebration was taking place.

“Yes, Festival,” she said. Her voice was swallowed up by the activity around them, but he could hear her, whether it was in his mind or with his ears was really a moot point by now.

He nodded. She knew his take on gods and goddesses. They didn't care about the lives of man. Hell, they were probably entertained by man's suffering, but Kala believed. Her faith didn't waver even in the face of all they had experienced, and Wolfgang would never sully that for her. So, he walked beside her through the streets, taking in the commotion and celebrations going on around them.

However, his eyes kept coming back to her.

Kala smiled as though she'd just arrived home from a long journey. There was such light in her eyes as she would squeeze his fingers and point to this or that. Wolfgang always looked, interested to see what fascinated her, but his eyes always returned to her.

She was beautiful. He'd thought so from the first moment he saw her, but here, surrounded by the festival she loved so much, her beauty was radiant, all consuming. Even her clothes seemed more bright than usual, and Wolfgang had not missed that she favored sunny colors regularly. Today, she looked like a goddess herself.

Wolfgang could feel her happiness as though it were his own, and it melted some of the heaviness in his heart. Kala did not pay him the attention he was used to when they visited each other, but he didn't mind. He remembered what she'd told him on the rooftop, about how she felt most comfortable surrounded by people, and she felt most connected at the festival.

It rained as they moved through the city, following the flow of chanting people. It wasn't like the cold rain of Berlin. There was no chill in his bones as he walked. He couldn't imagine a chill in Kala's world of light and warmth. It wasn't that he believed Kala's life was simple or without hardship, but she herself brought warmth.

“You are so quiet...and clothed,” she whispered as her sister turned to their mother to tell her something.

Wolfgang chuckled. He couldn't help it if his mind always wandered to her when he was naked. It was embarrassing really. If she knew how often he thought of her or how pathetically in love with her he was, she would not be so easily embarrassed by him. It would be the other way around.

“I do not want to distract you,” he told her, stepping closer to place his hand at the small of her back instead.

“You, a distraction?” she laughed. He loved her laugh.

Before Wolfgang could reply, her sister had turned back to her and was sharing some entertaining tidbit with her. He chose to remain quietly at her side instead.

They traveled down to the water, large statues of Ganesha traveling along with them. Wolfgang was surprised when he watched one in front of them get carried right into the sea. The people continued to chant, and he turned to Kala to ask what they were doing. Why they would destroy such beautiful pieces of artwork. However, he could barely hear his own thoughts as they drew closer and closer to the water.

Kala broke away from her family, following one idol, and she walked right up to the water. Wolfgang grabbed her around the waist as the men carried the massive statue into the waves. Kala jerked in his arms as he held her back.

“Don't make me save you from drowning. The pool is not an ocean,” he said, but she didn't fight him. They stood at the edge wrapped in each others' arms as they watched the idols submerge.

“They are all destroyed?” he asked against her ear, enjoying the way she felt against his body. The water lapped at their feet, leaving him with the feeling of soggy socks in his boots.

“Yes, it symbolizes Moksha, liberation,” she told him. “Ganesha takes form in clay, we bring him into our homes, worship him, and then we bring him to the water and he becomes formless once again. We do not cling to these idols even if they are beautiful,” she told him, smiling up at him. She'd read his thoughts, but he could tell she was pleased he found them beautiful.

They watched as people came to the water's edge to see the idols in the ocean before they slowly dissolved. He found there was a peace to watching the process even among all of the commotion.

“The water is your freedom, and you've shared that with me. I thought I would share mine with you,” she told him. They swayed together, his arms wrapped around her from behind.

Even though Wolfgang did not completely understand her faith, he understood what she meant and how much it meant. He held her closer to him, pressing a kiss to her temple. He didn't have the words to say to her, but he opened his mind, so she could know how grateful he was to share this with her.

She'd chosen him over Capheus, who would have loved the excitement and celebration. Over Sun, who would've appreciated the sentiment of the holiday. Over Lito, who would have loved the spectacle of the festival. She'd chosen to share it with only him.

Kala had opened her mind and soul to Wolfgang as she'd been doing from the moment they'd become sensates. Even though he showed her the monster that he was. Even though he told her to marry Rajan, though he had no faith or family but one of his own making, though he saw himself as beyond redemption. She still came when his heart called for hers, and she still allowed her own heart to call to him.

He couldn't deny her this, and he couldn't deny that he was ever grateful that she shared this with him.

 

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first foray into Sense8 fanfiction, so please be nice. I hope you enjoyed this.


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